desertion

Definitions

The voluntary abandonment of one's spouse or children or both without justification or legal separation. Legally, desertion occurs when a spouse leaves the marital home for a specified length of time; desertion is grounds for divorce in states with fault divorce.

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(Noun) Leaving the military without authorization. (Usually for a significant period of time - otherwise it might be deemed a simple A.W.O.L q.v., and not, in wartime, a capital offense.)